Worship

Jerry Solomon

Definitions of Worship

During a 1954 interview A.W. Tozer, a great pastor and editor of
the Alliance Witness, was asked what he thought would awaken the
church from its complacency. This was his response: "In my opinion,
the great single need of the moment is that light-hearted
superficial religionists be struck down with a vision of God high
and lifted up, with His train filling the temple. The holy art of
worship seems to have passed away like the Shekinah glory from the
tabernacle. As a result, we are left to our own devices and forced
to make up the lack of spontaneous worship by bringing in countless
cheap and tawdry activities to hold the attention of the church
people."(1) John MacArthur, a more contemporary preacher and
writer, wrote this indictment in 1993: "In the past half decade,
some of America's largest evangelical churches have employed
worldly gimmicks like slapstick, vaudeville, wrestling
exhibitions, and even mock striptease to spice up the Sunday
meetings. No brand of horseplay, it seems, is too outrageous to be
brought into the sanctuary. Burlesque is fast becoming the
liturgy of the pragmatic church."(2)

These stinging analyses, whether we agree with them or not, remind
us that the biblically based Christian is challenged to consider
worship, along with all facets of life, in light of the culture in
which he or she lives. Worship should be included in the total
world view of each individual Christian. It is a significant part
of a believer's life. With this in mind, we will reflect on the
meaning and history of worship, hindrances to worship, and the
content of worship. And we will offer our own analyses and
suggestions.

As is true with many terms used among Christians, the word
"worship" can become a cliché devoid of significant content
if we don't stop to consider its meaning. "Our English word means
worthship,' denoting the worthiness of an individual to receive
special honor in accordance with that worth."(3) The Hebrew and
Greek terms found in the Bible "emphasize the act of prostration,
the doing of obeisance."(4) Warren Wiersbe offers a broad
definition based upon these concepts. He writes, "Worship is the
believer's response of all that he is--mind, emotions, will, and
body--to all that God is and says and does. This response has its
mystical side in subjective experience, and its practical side in
objective obedience to God's revealed truth. It is a loving
response that is balanced by the fear of the Lord, and it is a
deepening response as the believer comes to know God better."(5) A
more narrow definition may sound like this: "Worship is pure
adoration, the lifting up of the redeemed spirit toward God in
contemplation of His holy perfection."(6)

Do these definitions describe worship as you experience it with
your gathered church and in your daily life? If so, you are
blessed. If not, perhaps you need to evaluate the place of worship
in your life. Perhaps you need to consider honestly if you have
allowed yourself to become accustomed to traditions that have
confused true worship. Perhaps you have approached worship with the
idea it applies only on Sunday mornings. Or maybe you have never
stopped to consider the importance of worship.

The History of Worship

What comes to mind when you think of worship? Is it a formal
occasion? Is it a joyous occasion? Does it contain certain rituals?
Are you involved? Are you praising God? Are you learning? Are you
hearing from God? Are you in contemplation? Are you singing? Are
you praying? Are you alone, or with other people?

Perhaps you can answer some or all of these questions in the
affirmative. And you probably can add other elements to what is
contained in worship in your experience. But have you ever
considered what worship may have looked like when the early church
gathered? Were these elements included, or did it look very
different? A very brief survey of the history of worship will help
us begin to evaluate the purpose and content of worship today. Our
ancestors had to wrestle with what worship entails long before our
time. We can and should learn from them.

The worship patterns of the Jewish synagogue served as the model
for the first Christians. As Robert Webber has written, "It must be
remembered that the early Christians came into worship from a
different perspective from modern Christians. We accept the Old
because we have been informed by the New. But they accepted the New
because they had been informed by the Old."(7) The promises and
prophecies of the Old Testament had been fulfilled in Jesus, the
Messiah. Thus Jesus set the stage for the first acts of worship
among the early believers by giving new meaning to the ancient
ritual of the Passover meal. Acts 2:46 tells us that the earliest
form of Christian worship was a meal--"breaking bread in their
homes."(8) Believers were remembering the Last Supper just as the
Jews remembered the Passover. Eventually churches became too large
to accommodate these shared meals, so a single table with the
elements of bread and wine became the focus. Thus "the central act
of Christian worship in the history of the church has always been
the Communion."(9)

By the second century worship began to look more like what most of
us include in our churches. Justin Martyr, an apologist and pastor,
wrote of two major parts: the liturgy of the Word and the liturgy
of the Eucharist. The liturgy of the Word consisted of lessons from
the Old and New Testaments, a sermon, prayers, and hymns. The
liturgy of the Eucharist included a kiss of peace; offering of
bread, wine, and water; prayers and thanksgiving over the bread and
wine; remembrance of Christ's death, including the narrative of the
institution of the Last Supper, and a command to continue in it; an
Amen, said by all the people; Communion; then the reserved portions
were taken by the deacons to those who were absent.(10)

It is unfortunate that by the late medieval period this twofold
form of worship was overcome by pomp and ceremony that crowded out
its meaning. But even the Reformers of the sixteenth century
insisted on maintaining both Word and Sacrament. Their intent was
to restore both elements to their primitive simplicity, and in the
process the Scriptures were to be given an authoritative place.(11)
Most evangelicals attempt to sustain the traditions of the
Reformers. But what is the purpose of all this for the gathered
church, and the individual believer?

The Purpose of Worship

Why should we worship God? Quite simply, we should worship Him
because of who He is--God. In Revelation 4 and 5 we see
descriptions that should provide impetus for our worship. He "is
the only God, the highest, the Lord God, the heavenly King, the
almighty God and Father, the Holy One."(12) To put it succinctly,
"in worship we simply tell God the truth about Himself."(13) Each
day of our lives we tell God the truth about Himself, if we are
thinking and living through the grid of a Christian world view.

I have a good friend who is a physicist. Years ago his job included
the consistent use of a sophisticated electron microscope. This
impressive device allowed him to take pictures of the microscopic
things he was studying. From these pictures he developed a
wonderful slide presentation that served to remind us of the order
and complexity that exists beyond what we can see with the naked
eye. When we viewed these remarkable images, we responded in
worship. Why? Because our world view prompted us to contemplate the
One who created such awesome things. We were filled with wonder. In
our response we were telling God the truth about Himself. We were
worshiping.

After his death friends of the great French thinker, Blaise Pascal,
"found stitched into the lining of his doublet a scrap of parchment
with a rough drawing of a flaming cross. Around that cross was the
following poem,"(14) entitled "Fire":

God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob,
Not of the philosophers and the learned.
Certitude. Joy. Certitude. Emotion. Sight. Joy.
Forgetfulness of the world and of all outside of God.
The world hath not known Thee, but I have known Thee.
Joy! Joy! Joy! Tears of joy.
My God, wilt Thou leave me?
Let me not be separated from Thee for ever.(15)

In this unforgettable refrain we hear the heart of a man in
worship. Pascal was responding to the very personal presence of God
in his life by pouring out his heart. His contemplation led to
worship. Jonathan Edwards, the great American philosopher-
theologian of the eighteenth century, shared one of his experiences
of worship in his Personal Narrative, which was published
after his death.

The person of Christ appeared ineffably excellent with
an excellency great enough to swallow up all thought and conception
. . . which continued near as I can judge, about an hour; which
kept me the greater part of the time in a flood of tears and
weeping aloud.(16)

The full account of this encounter indicates that Edwards
experienced worship during a time of contemplation and prayer. He
sought to focus on God, and God responded in a dramatic way, just
as was true for Pascal.

Such experiences don't have to be descriptive only of a few. We can
apply at least two things from them. First, as with my physicist
friend, our lives should include a sense of wonder. And wonder
should lead to worship. As Thomas Carlyle wrote, "The man who
cannot wonder, who does not habitually wonder and worship, is but
a pair of spectacles behind which there is no eye."(17) Second, as
with Pascal and Edwards, we need times of contemplation and prayer.
Thoughts about God, and prayer to God can lead to a personal
encounter with the One we worship.

Some Contemporary Hindrances to Worship

As of July 3, 1997, I will have known my wife for 30 years. During
that time my love for her has become enriched through many
experiences. If you were to ask me why I love her, I might respond
by telling you what I receive from her. Or I might give you
analyses of marriage fit for an essay. I might even attempt to
persuade you to believe in marriage as I do. None of these
responses would be wrong, but they would be incomplete, and they
wouldn't focus on the primary subject: my wife, the object of my
love. The lover would have hindered true praise of the loved one.

The same can be said frequently of us as we consider worship in our
lives. If we aren't careful, we can hinder worship, both
individually and corporately, by emphasizing things that may be
good, but don't give us a complete picture of what worship entails.
There are at least three words that can describe these hindrances:
pragmatism, intellectualism, and evangelism.

Pragmatism as a hindrance to worship. First, pragmatism has
led many to find ways of getting what they want, instead of what
they need. This means the worship "customer" is sovereign. "The
idea is a basic selling principle: you satisfy an existing desire
rather than trying to persuade people to buy something they don't
want."(18) Many churches are growing numerically through such
strategies, but is worship taking place? It's my conviction that
the answer is "No." People may be coming, but numbers are not the
issue. Worship is done among regenerated Christians who are
concentrating on who God is, not on what we want. Paradoxically,
what we truly want, communion with God, takes place when we pursue
what we truly need.

Intellectualism as a hindrance to worship. Second,
intellectualism is not a substitute for worship. Coming from one
who believes strongly in the importance of intellect in the
Christian life, this may be surprising. But I have come to realize
that worship is not a glorified Bible study. This does not mean
that the preaching of Scripture is not a key ingredient of worship,
but the one who is preaching is responsible to share in light of
worship. As Warren Wiersbe has written, "There is much more to
preaching than passing along religious information. It must reveal,
not mere facts about God, but the Person of God Himself."(19)
Wiersbe continues: "When preaching is an act of worship, the
outline is to the text what a prism is to a shaft of sunlight: it
breaks it up so that its beauty and wonder are clearly seen."(20)
Such comments also apply to our private times of Bible study. Our
minds are to be used in study, but what is studied includes worship
of the One who has communicated with us.

Evangelism as a hindrance to worship. Third, evangelism is
not the ultimate reason for worship. Non-believers who are in
attendance at a time of worship certainly can be touched by the
Spirit, but worship implies the believer's response to God. A non-
believer cannot worship the true and living God. Thus an "altar
call" should not be the primary focus. Instead, the church should
be called to focus on the One who has called them into His family.
Then they take what they have heard, seen, and experienced into the
surrounding world.

Let's reconsider such hindrances as we seek to worship God, who
will be glorified in the process.

The Content of Worship

"I know that Thou canst do all things, And that no purpose of Thine
can be thwarted" (Job 42:2). "I will give thanks to the LORD with
all my heart; I will tell of all Thy wonders. I will be glad and
exult in Thee; I will sing praise to Thy name, O Most High" (Ps.
9:1 2). "The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their
expanse is declaring the work of His hands" (Ps. 19:1). "Holy,
Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, the whole earth is full of His
glory" (Isa. 6:3). "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the
heavenly places in Christ" (Eph. 1:3). "Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy
has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (1 Peter 1:3).
"Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns" (Rev.
19:6).

What do these Scriptures have in common? They are statements of
worship; they are inspired statements from men to God. And for the
moment it's our hope that they serve to stimulate us to contemplate
the content of worship.

One of the most pointed scriptural statements concerning worship is
found in Jesus' well-known encounter with the Samaritan woman (John
4:23 24). Jesus told her:

But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true
worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such
people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit; and
those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.

Earlier (vs. 21) Jesus had told the woman that the place of worship
was unimportant. One doesn't worship just on a particular mountain,
in Jerusalem, or any other place. We are free to worship God
anywhere. So then He told her what is important.

First, the spirit of worship is important. We are to render "such
homage to God that the entire heart enters into the act."(21)
Whether we are in a time of private praise and adoration, or
gathered with the church in corporate proclamation, we are to
respond to who God is from the spirit, from the whole of our
innermost being. Second, we are to do "this in full harmony with
the truth of God as revealed in his Word."(22) The concept of
responding to God in spirit can give rise to confusing individual
expressions if those expressions are not guided by Scripture. There
must be balance between spirit and truth. One without the other is
not complete. "As some see it, a humble, spiritual attitude means
little. According to others, truth or doctrinal soundness is of no
importance. Both are one-sided, unbalanced, and therefore wrong.
Genuine worshipers worship in spirit and truth."(23)

These comments began with quotes from biblical writers who wrote
their statements of worship. It's striking to note how those
statements contain not only the truth of God, but the truth about
God. Truth permeates their worship. But it's also striking to note
the spirit with which those expressions were shared. They are from
the heart. They penetrate our lives; they are alive with true
worship. As we read and hear such expressions they should encourage
us to worship God in spirit and truth. And thus the content of our
worship will be pleasing to Him.

Concluding Suggestions Concerning Corporate Worship Renewal

We have discussed several aspects of worship: its definition,
history, purpose, hindrances, and content. To conclude we will
focus on five suggestions that can be applied to corporate worship
in the contemporary church.

First, consider how time is allotted when the church gathers for
worship. As churches grow they tend to break into various times of
worship. Thus the available time for worship is decreased. One
group needs to be released from the worship center in time for
another to enter. As a result, often there is a feeling of being
rushed. And this feeling of being rushed is exacerbated because so
much of the available time is spent with things that may be good,
but are not conducive to worship. Announcements may concern good
things, for example, but they take time from the true intent of the
gathered church.

Second, consider how much attention is given to worship by the
leadership of the church. The pastor, staff, and other leadership
should demonstrate that worship has a very high priority. There
should not be a question of how much energy has been given to
preparation for worship on the part of the leadership.

Third, consider who is the leader of worship and why. It is my
conviction that the pastor should be the one who calls the body to
worship and leads it by example. Much is communicated to the
congregation when the primary earthly leader implores the people to
give their undivided attention to the reason for their gathering.
In addition, much is communicated when the pastor is involved in
worship beyond just the delivery of a sermon, no matter how good it
may be. Having served on a church staff for many years, I know some
of the time implications of this suggestion. But I believe if the
church makes worship the priority, the pastor should provide the
leadership for it. Fourth, consider what has priority in worship.
Quite simply, the question is whether or not God has priority. Or
do other things tend to crowd the allotted time and distract from
the true intention? For example, it may be good to let a visiting
relative of a church member sing a solo, but has someone talked
with this person in order to discuss the reason for any solos
within the time of worship? Remember, worship is to be God-
centered, not man-centered.

Fifth, consider the place of style versus substance in worship. It
appears to me that the "style" of worship is not the issue as much
as the substance. In other words, if the people are called to
worship God with integrity and concentration on Him, the style is
secondary. This applies regardless of whether the style is
liturgical/traditional, contemporary, or something in between. But
if the style overshadows substance, true worship may be thwarted.
It is a wise church that brings both style and substance together
in a manner that pleases God.

These five suggestions and the thoughts that have preceded them
have been offered with the hope that you have been stimulated to
consider the importance of worship in your life. The worshiping
Christian in a worshiping church is a person who is continually
empowered to impact the world for the glory of God. May you be
among those empowered people!